Ingredients
Method
- Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, brown the beef cubes on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the diced onion to the same pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Return the browned beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the beef broth, water, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour.
- Add the pearl barley to the pot and continue simmering covered for another 45 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, and drained tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender and the barley is cooked through.
- Remove the bay leaves and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months, though you may need to add additional broth when reheating as the barley will absorb liquid over time. For a richer flavor, you can substitute 2 cups of the broth with red wine.